


You’re the only one I want (by my side when I fall asleep)

by CascadedSunsets



Series: Bughead oneshots [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Hurt Jughead Jones, Hurt/Comfort, Jughead Jones Needs a Hug, Maybe - Freeform, So yeah, betty and archie are ‘dating’, bettys kinda been a bitch, but archies abusive, but it’s ok because she gets better, but yeah let’s go kids, if I’m a good writer, ok so basically archies cheating with Veronica, you’ll prolly cry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:46:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23238673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CascadedSunsets/pseuds/CascadedSunsets
Summary: Betty thought it would just be a normal Friday evening, where Archie gets home drunk and late and gets mad that she’d eaten all the lucky charms.What it actually is, is her ex boyfriend Jughead Jones showing up at her front door at midnight, with a lot to say.——————This is a little oneshot series I’ll be doing where I’ll write a little oneshot when inspo strikes. There will always be an extract from a song at the start :)
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Series: Bughead oneshots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1670839
Kudos: 34





	You’re the only one I want (by my side when I fall asleep)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, I’m back! I’m so so so sorry for the hiatus I was working on my GCSEs (which I now know probably won’t even happen so thanks corona) since I’ll have a lot of free time and really don’t want to go crazy from boredom I’ve come back to writing!! I’m currently working on the next chapter of my hogwarts au (it’s very wild) but no spoilers so just read on, lovelies!

_ Spending all my nights alone, waiting for you to call me _

_ You're the only one I want by my side when I fall asleep _

_ Tell me what I'm waiting for _

_ Tell me what I'm waiting for _

_ I know it's hard, but we need each other _

_ Know it's hard, but we need each other _

_You shouldn’t be eating carbs at 11 at night_ ,  Betty thought to herself as she stuffed her face with another mouthful of lucky charms. Her mother’s consistent words of shame were words Betty couldn’t ever shake off. She guessed they grew up with her, and even now, with her own apartment and job, her mother somehow still managed to control her. She put her face in her hands and smoothed back her hair with a sigh of frustration.  _You’re 24, for fucks sake_ ,  she reminded herself,  _ you can eat whatever you want at whatever time you want, goddamn it. _

She didn’t know how long it had been before she finally put the cereal box down, but what she _did_ know was that she had eaten nearly half the box and that Archie most definitely wouldn’t be happy. She cringed at the remaining charms and quickly hid the box in the cupboard. If all was normal and Archie came back home drunk, he surely wouldn’t find them, and when he will eventually find them, he won’t be so hard on her. 

Sure enough, as she got out of the bathtub and into her pyjamas, a sloppy knock sounded at the door. It didn’t sound like Archie, but hey, she’s not even sure Archie knew Archie anymore. 

She opened the bathroom door and made her way to the front door. The knocking grew in impatience and she found herself picking up her pace. Archie angry was one thing, but Archie angry _and_ _ drunk _ was a whole other matter. As she reached the door and opened it, what she saw in front of her wasn’t what she’d expected at all.

It wasn’t Archie, but Jughead Jones, looking drunk and dishevelled. She hadn’t seen Jughead since she’d broken up with him two years ago because he’d caught her cheating with Archie. It makes her a horrible and selfish person, sure, but part of her had wanted to hurt him before he got the chance to hurt her, and so she’d been the one to break up with him. She’d heard he’d stumbled off the rails a little, and even had to go to therapy for attempting to burn down his home. She’d also heard he’d sleep around a lot and had never been in a proper relationship since her. 

“Jughead?” She blinked, “What’re you—?”

He interrupted her, “Can I come in?” without waiting for an answer he pushed past her and into her and Archie’s living room.

“So, Betty,” he turned, looking her up and down in such a way that she felt uncomfortable under his gaze, “Is this what you left me for?”

“What?” She watched as he stumbled to her sofa and sank into it.

“Was it because Archie’s richer? He could buy you all this?” She winced at his heavy slur and cautiously came to sit next to him. 

“Jughead, how much did you drink?”

He counted on his fingers, “About 1..10. Shots.”

“Of what?”

“Whiskey,” he smirked and pointed his finger to her face. “But don’t worry, it’s not enough to kill me. I think.”

“Jesus,” Betty whispered. 

“At this point, dying wouldn’t even be a problem anymore. You’ve already hurt me more than death would.” She winced again. 

“You know why I didn’t ever get into another relationship?” He sat back into the sofa and stretched his arms over the back.

“Why?” Betty asked quietly. Jughead laughed loudly.

“Because I thought, maybe, you would come back, and by getting into a relationship I was betraying you.” He laughed again at Betty’s change in expression.

“Which is funny, because you’re the one that ended us by doing just that!” He said between laughs, throwing his hands in wild gestures while Betty just watched, cold tears gathering in her eyes.

“And I’m just wondering to myself, why wasn’t I enough?” He said, still laughing breathlessly. Betty shook her head helplessly.

“Hmm, Betty? Why wasn’t I enough? Why?” He wasn’t laughing anymore. He was staring at her with glossy eyes.

“You were enough, Jug—,”

“No, I wasn’t.” He interrupted her again, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. “I wasn’t enough, so you had to go running to Archie.”

“I wasn’t running—,”

“I know I went off the rails,” Jughead said quietly, seemingly balancing between breaking down in sobs and turning stone-faced. “After you left. I know. Truth is, I need you, Betty. I  need  you, more than I need life and I’m hopeless without you.” He was crying now, sobbing loudly and Betty could only let her own tears roll down her face silently. 

“Please come back, Betts. I don’t know what I’ll do if you don’t. I just need you back.” Betty finally let her emotions engulf her and she grabbed his face with her hands, crying loudly along with him. She leaned in to kiss his forehead, down to his nose, leaving salty prints in her wake, and kissed his lips, both of them melting into it desperately. 

“I’m sorry baby,” she said over and over again between sobs, “I’m so sorry.”

“I want to be enough, Betty.” He choked as she pulled his head down to rest on her lap. “Help me be enough.”

“You’re already enough, Juggie,” she replied, “you’ve always been enough.”

“Why did you leave me?”

“I was afraid,” she whispered, as both their sobbing calmed down. “of getting hurt, I guess. It’s ironic.” She chuckled harshly.

He didn’t answer, and she felt his breathing slow down until they were consistent sighs. She gently pulled off his beanie and leaned down to kiss his hair. As she stroked it, she grabbed her phone from the table and texted Archie.

_ Stay with Veronica tonight. I want to be alone. _

She looked down at the man lying on her lap and gave a small smile at his peacefulness. She remembered loving to watch him sleep. He always looked so innocent, so pure, so free, when he was in slumber. She couldn’t quite see the front of his face, but his eyelashes were long enough for her to see from her position, and she smiled again at the memory of them together. Sweet, gentle, thoughtful Jughead. She couldn't believe she’d let him go. She brushed a lone strand of hair from his face. Somehow, they were going to rebuild those, and she wouldn't stop until they did.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi again, this is actually way shorter than I thought it would be but it's 2 am and I'm tired. so if you managed to make it to the end I just wanna say not all my oneshots will be this heavy lol, i was just listening to a song that got me in my feels and i based this off of it. Anyways, stay tuned for the next oneshot AND the next part of hogwarts!! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!


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